EHB Response Program
Following the detection of European House Borer in January 2004, rapid action was taken to determine the extent of the pest and how to tackle the infestation. This included an assessment of 1200 sites throughout greater metropolitan Perth and the South-West.
The surveillance resulted in no positive finds in regional areas, including the main softwood plantations in the South-West. Although, EHB was found on 27 properties throughout 10 Perth suburbs.
The Government of Western Australia initiated an Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan, which focused on surveillance and containment of the pest, while cost benefit analyses and regulatory impact assessments were conducted.
Industry consultations and a local awareness campaign also commenced.
An EHB Emergency Plant Pest Response Plan (EHB EPPRP) outlining a $9.4 million containment and surveillance phase during 2007 and 2008, with a view to eradication, was approved by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) in November 2006.
Based on a technical feasibility study of successful eradication undertaken by the EHB Scientific Advisory Panel (EHB SAP), further funding was approved until June 2009, and then again until June 2010.
The following activities formed part of the ongoing EHB Response Program between 2004 and 2010:
- Door-knock surveys.
- Assessing dead pine wood.
- Bi-annual targeted inspections of 200 roofs in Ellenbrook.
- The removal of all host material from infested areas, including live pine trees.
- Placement of trap poles to measure the existing population density, and identify areas of concentrated pest activity.
- Training of two detector dogs to target EHB within pinewood.
- Extensive research, including:
- The development of acoustic listening technology;
- The maintenance of an EHB colony to gather information about the pest;
- Research houses to assess the survival of EHB in Perth's hot summer roof temperatures;
- Development of a DNA test for EHB using the frass produced by wood boring larvae.
To support EHB surveillance, containment and eradication efforts, the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection (European House Borer) Regulations 2006 were gazetted in 2006 to establish buffer zones around sites of EHB infestation. These were called Priority Management Zones (PMZ) and Restricted Movement Zones (RMZ).
The regulations outlined restrictions on the movement, storage, treatment and disposal of untreated pinewood located in PMZ and RMZ areas.
At the conclusion of eradication in 2010, 137 of the178 confirmed sites have been cleared of the infested material, and 50 of the 117 surrounding PMZ areas have been cleared of all host material (including live pine trees).
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